


Follow You

by theblackhall



Category: Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kinan, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Neighbors, Sexual Humor, WooYan, wooyu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:55:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24256255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theblackhall/pseuds/theblackhall
Summary: Yanan left the next morning the way he always did—right after complaining about work as if he and Wooseok didn’t work in the same office while inhaling his too-much-honey-covered-pancakes. He never did see Wooseok’s new painting, and Yuto was at his door again, witnessing Yanan leave Wooseok with barely a kiss on the cheek.“Shit…What happened to the wall slamming?” Yuto commented, looking concerned. He was almost naked this time, because he actually had a pair of basketball shorts on instead of just a towel.Wooseok rolled his eyes and closed the door, leaving the questioning Yuto alone.
Relationships: Adachi Yuto/Jung Wooseok, Jung Wooseok/Yan An
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	Follow You

**Author's Note:**

> first of all, i love wooyu and i'm sorry you have to bear with toxic wooyan for a bit. this oneshot is based on what's your number, one of my fav guilty pleasure romcoms. enjoy!

When Wooseok woke up and found that there was another man on the other side of his bed, his eyes went wide. He turned to his side slowly, not wanting to dip the bed too much, and reached for his phone that was charging all night on the bedside table. 09:54 was written on the screen above a myriad of notifications, yet the sleepy man ignored them all and locked his phone again, seeing his own reflection on the screen.

He cursed under his breath. His hair was a dishevelled mess and his eyes were puffy from staying up until four in the morning with the person in his bed, doing things that would put porn stars to shame.

So, as always, Wooseok sat up gently, trying not to wake up the man lying face down beside him. He placed the phone back on the table and grabbed his bottle of water, pouring a small amount of the clear liquid onto his palm before running it through his hair. After he made sure his hair looked decent and splashed some water onto his face to fake a fresh look, he pinched his cheeks, forcing some colour into them.

He looked at the small mirror he had purposely placed on the table for the same reason every morning, and smiled to himself when he was satisfied with what he saw in the reflection. Wooseok pushed himself back into position, lying down nicely on the fluffy pillow and closing his eyes dramatically, wanting to make it look like he woke up _like that_.

It only took a few seconds before the man beside him shifted in his sleep and turned on his side, facing Wooseok who faked a yawn, fluttering his eyes open.

“Wow,” the man cooed, voice heavy with sleep, “I don’t know how you manage to look so beautiful in the morning.”

Wooseok smiled as prettily as he could. “Thank you, Yanan” he replied in the softest voice he could muster.

The Chinese man, Yanan, softly pinched Wooseok’s nose before burying his face in the pillow again.

When his breathing slowed once more, signalling that he’s fast asleep, Wooseok let out a sigh he didn’t realize he was holding. He had no idea why he had to be perfect for every man he was seeing, even though he was never serious with any of them and most of his relationships were based on sex only.

Huffing in frustration, Wooseok got off the bed and found his shirt hanging on the floor lamp in the corner. He threw it on after tugging his boxer briefs up and made his way to the bathroom.

As he brushed his teeth, he had a staring contest with his own reflection, wondering why he had to cater his personality to every single man he dated. Why must he change his behaviour to fit in with the people around him? Why couldn’t he be himself?

~

It was almost 11 o’clock by the time Wooseok was done with making coffee and cooking breakfast. He had pulled up the blinds in the living room and opened the windows to let some air into the commodious apartment. Still in his shirt and boxer briefs, Wooseok walked around the kitchen, keeping away the ingredients he’d used to make pancakes and setting the food on the table.

He waited for Yanan to come out from the bathroom, the man having woken up only ten minutes ago. It had become a routine for them—Yanan fucking Wooseok senseless when Saturday night came and they would sleep in the next day. Every Sunday morning, without fail, Wooseok would be making extra pancakes for the Chinese man since he liked them so much.

“Something smells good,” Yanan’s sweet voice broke through the silence. He appeared in the hallway from the bathroom, smiling wide at the taller man who was sipping his coffee at the kitchen counter. “How many pancakes today?”

Wooseok placed his mug down on a coaster. “Three for you and two for me, as always.”

He squeezed his eyes shut when Yanan approached him and left a chaste kiss on his cheek. “You’re the best,” he said, taking a carton of apple juice out from the fridge and completely neglecting the coffee Wooseok had set on the table. He didn’t know why he even bothered preparing a cup of coffee for Yanan when he never even drank it.

They sat in silence at the small dining table for two, or rather, _Wooseok_ was sitting in silence as Yanan told him about his business plans whilst eating his pancakes. He had poured a lot of honey on them, the way he always liked it, but it disgusted Wooseok who only liked his pancakes with chocolate syrup.

He never told Yanan that, though. Apparently chocolate syrup’s made for kids and Yanan despised childish behaviour coming from adults.

“So I told my secretary that if she doesn’t leave the correct files on my desk the next morning, my dad would totally have her ass thrown out on the streets,” Yanan chuckled before chewing another mouthful of floury breakfast. “This is really good,” he managed to speak, “I don’t know how you do it.”

Wooseok only forced another smile. How did he and Yanan last for two months? He had no clue. The men he slept with always disappeared the moment he opened his eyes the next morning. But Yanan stayed. Wooseok had woken up and the company CEO was right there, snoring lightly in his bed. So for once in his life, it felt right.

He was more than sure that the other employees had caught on to them seeing each other, thanks to Yanan always calling Wooseok into his office several times a week and the latter walking out 20 minutes later with messy hair and undone shirt buttons. He’d heard the whispers and uncanny rumours.

_Jung Wooseok messing around with the snobby CEO? Who would’ve thought?_

“Seok?” Yanan called, snapping Wooseok out of his trance.

“Yeah?”

“I said I need to go. My mom just texted and she said Dad wants me home by lunchtime because he wants to discuss our new project.”

“Oh,” Wooseok deadpanned, looking neither disappointed nor excited. He didn’t even know what exactly his feelings were. “Yeah, okay, at least you’ve finished your pancakes already.”

“They’re good, of course I finished them. _You_ didn’t even touch _yours_.” Yanan got up from the seat and went to the jacket hanger near the front door. He tucked his wrinkled white shirt into his black slacks and tugged on his matching blazer. “How do I look?”

“Dashing as always,” Wooseok faked a grin and showed him a thumbs up. He walked up the small step towards the front door and opened it before stepping aside. “See you Monday at work.”

“See you Monday,” smiled Yanan who just finished putting on his shiny black shoes. He pushed Wooseok onto the wall, his hands holding his face before smashing their lips together. Wooseok’s eyes were wide open while Yanan’s were completely closed as he deepened the kiss. When he pulled back, he left another quick peck on Wooseok’s cheek and walked out the door, leaving the latter baffled as if he was actually stuck to the wall. He could hear Yanan descending the stairs and sighed to himself.

“Wow…” another voice sounded from outside, deep and groggy.

The startled Wooseok stood in the doorframe, surprised by the sight that greeted him.

Across the hall, apartment 5A’s door was wide open, and a tall, muscular and tanned man stood in front of it; _naked_ , with only a small towel held in his left hand covering his penis and an apple in his right. He took a big bite of the apple as he eyed Wooseok, raising an eyebrow at his neighbour.

“Your boyfriend’s pretty rough,” the naked man commented.

“No one asked you, Yuto,” Wooseok huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Yuto laughed, nonchalantly lifting the towel up to wipe the corner of his lips, and Wooseok tried his best not to look at the exposed part of the man’s body. He admitted to himself that it was very _hard_ not to stare. His neighbour basically looked like a god—black hair falling over his forehead, prominent cheekbones, a sharp jawline, rock hard abs on display covered in tanned skin; Wooseok tried his _best_.

“Well, never thought I’d see that kind of entertainment this early in the morning,” commented Yuto, bending down to get the newspaper off the floor. He clamped it under his armpit and took another bite of his apple, “See ya, 5C.”

“Babe, come back to bed,” another man’s voice called from inside Yuto’s apartment as he walked inside.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” Yuto replied, lacking enthusiasm as he closed the door.

Wooseok only stared at 5A weirdly, rolling his eyes before taking his own newspaper off the floor and going back inside. He slammed the door.

~

The next few days had been weird enough, to say the least. The people in the small apartment building had a habit of not locking their doors, and that included both 5A and 5C. When Wooseok woke up on Monday, groaning to himself since he had to go to work, he screamed when he saw Yuto on his couch.

“What the _fuck_ , Yuto?”

“Sorry!” Yuto clasped his hands together and knelt in front of Wooseok. “The dude didn’t seem like he’s gonna leave so I told him I had an early dentist appointment and bolted into your apartment.”

“Are you kidding me?” Wooseok complained, walking towards his front door and opening it, just in time to see a man walk out of Yuto’s apartment with an annoyed look on his face. Yuto jumped behind the couch, hiding from view.

When Wooseok closed the door and looked at Yuto again, the latter smiled in embarrassment while the former crossed his arms and shook his head.

The same event occurred again the next day, and the next, and so on. By the time it was Friday night, Wooseok was used to having Yuto hanging out in his apartment. He’d found out that Yuto _liked_ pancakes with chocolate syrup, and he was more than happy to make themselves pancakes every morning. Yuto even spent one night over when he barged in with takeout.

They ended up sleeping in the living room at 4 a.m. after watching anime the entire night on Yuto’s laptop. God knows Wooseok showed up at work a few hours later with bed hair and dark circles, but he didn’t mind. He had fun.

When Saturday came, Wooseok spent the whole day sitting in the living room by the window, painting. He had bought a new easel and more blank canvases, so he decided to paint the sunny sky while drinking chocolate milk and listening to songs he knew Yanan wouldn’t approve.

“Do you wanna see my new painting?” he asked Yanan when he came over that night. The canvas was propped up on the mantel beside his TV, clear for anyone to see as soon as they walked into the apartment. Yet Yanan mumbled a quick “Maybe later” and proceeded to capture the skin on Wooseok’s neck with his mouth before pushing him against the wall.

Yanan left the next morning the way he always did—right after complaining about work as if he and Wooseok didn’t work in the same office while inhaling his too-much-honey-covered-pancakes. He never did see Wooseok’s new painting, and Yuto was at his door again, witnessing Yanan leave Wooseok with barely a kiss on the cheek.

“Shit…What happened to the wall slamming?” Yuto commented, looking concerned. He was _almost_ naked this time, because he actually had a pair of basketball shorts on instead of just a towel.

Wooseok rolled his eyes and closed the door, leaving the questioning Yuto alone.

~

“Good morning!” Yuto’s voice filled the apartment as Wooseok walked towards his kitchen on a Tuesday. He had showered and was already dressed for work, a light blue collared shirt under a grey blazer with matching slacks. “I already made your coffee, by the way.”

“Thanks,” he replied, taking the yellow mug off the counter. He smiled to himself, remembering that he had told Yuto the yellow one was his favourite. As expected, Yuto used the blue mug for himself, since Wooseok never used it. “Do you _not_ have a job, Yuto?”

“Hey, I do have a job, okay,” Yuto said from the couch, a guitar perched on his lap while he typed away on his laptop. “It’s just that I picked up all the afternoon shifts at the sports centre this month so I don’t need to be there until after lunch hours.”

“Wow, you can do that?” asked Wooseok, approaching him from behind the couch to see what he was typing. “And why do you have a guitar with you?”

Yuto showed him the laptop screen. “Song writing,” he said, “and of course I can do that. My shifts aren’t the same every month. Last month I worked the morning shifts and it was torture, especially on weekends when parents brought their kids to play soccer.”

Wooseok laughed, trying to imagine Yuto looking after kids at the court. He eyed the lyrics and notes Yuto had typed on the screen, amazed by it but not saying anything.

“Thanks for the coffee, even though it _is_ my coffee. I’m heading out so, close the door when you leave.”

“Yes, sir,” Yuto saluted as he stood up, setting the guitar on the couch. Wooseok had washed and set aside the mug before taking his keys and walking towards the door. “Wait!” Yuto shouted, making the taller man jump where he stood.

“What?” Wooseok shouted back, annoyed. He turned to look at the Japanese man again, who was pointing a finger at his painting.

“I forgot to tell you, your painting’s really good. I mean, not that I know the first thing about visual arts but, looks amazing to me.”

Wooseok bit back a smile. He didn’t have anyone complimenting his art for the past few months, and he knew Yanan never bothered. So he thanked his annoying neighbour and closed the door on his way out. There was a bounce in his steps when he descended the staircase to the ground floor, and a smile eventually appeared on his lips.

~

The clock struck 8 p.m. and Wooseok just got back to his apartment. When he reached the third floor, a man walked out from apartment 3B with a dog and Wooseok smiled at them. “Hi, Changgu!” he greeted as he stopped halfway up the staircase towards the second floor. “Taking Bo for a night stroll, huh?”

“Wooseok-ah!” Changgu replied, smiling wide as he always did. “Yeah, I didn’t get to do it this morning so I’m making it up to him. Going to the park with Shinwon.”

“Your boyfriend?”

“Yeah, who else,” Changgu laughed, walking his dog towards the staircase. “Have a good night!”

Wooseok shouted “You too!” and went up the rest of the stairs to the fifth floor. The elevator had broken down three months ago and it still wasn’t fixed, but the tenants in the building had grown used to the stairs by now. Besides, there were only six floors anyway.

When he reached his door, there was a note stuck under his peephole, and he pulled it off before going inside.

_Roof. 9 p.m. Dinner’s on me. —5A_

Wooseok felt giddy inside, a smile still playing on his lips as he placed the note on the dining table and proceeded to freshen up before whatever it was that’s waiting for him on the roof.

~

The door to the staircase leading up to the roof was on the sixth floor, hidden in a corner at the end of the hallway nobody even used. Wooseok didn’t think people knew of its existence, since he never heard anyone say anything about it.

He carefully ascended the short flight of stairs, ending with another emergency door, and he pushed it open with his shoulder. Awe struck in his eyes when he took in the sight before him. The starless night sky was spread wide above the whole city, and twinkling orange lights illuminated the space, coming from strings of light bulbs hung from one pole to the other.

The atmosphere was quite serene, and Wooseok mentally scolded himself for never finding this place after two years of living in that building.

“You made it!” a familiar voice greeted him as the door closed silently behind him.

Wooseok turned to his left, seeing Yuto smiling at him. He was standing in front of a sofa pushed up against a brick wall, his guitar propped up against it. Soft music was playing from his laptop’s speakers, and Wooseok raised his eyebrow. He thought Yuto would be the kind of person who’s into alternative rock or heavy metal, but he thought wrong.

“You promised me dinner, why wouldn’t I make it?” he retorted, making his way towards the edge of the roof. He placed his arms on the ledge and looked over the city, taking in the skyscrapers surrounding them and the bustling streets below. “I never knew about this place. How did you know?”

Yuto came up beside him, mimicking his actions.

“I had a friend who lived on the sixth floor last year—Hongseok. He was the one who showed me this place. I don’t know if you got it but I think he sent out a memo to everyone saying that the roof was closed so no one would ever come up here and he could have it to himself.”

Wooseok nodded slowly, suddenly remembering that he actually did get a memo about the roof earlier last year. He just never bothered about it.

“He moved out already, though. He finally got married.”

“Finally?” Wooseok scoffed.

“Yeah, he was dating his boyfriend Jinho since, what, high school? I’m surprised it took them so many years to get married. They’re so disgustingly in love my eyes could vomit.”

Wooseok laughed, slapping Yuto’s arm lightly before making his way towards the couch.

“Alright, where’s my dinner?”

~

Empty pizza boxes laid open on the carpeted floor beside two cans of beer. The two tall and merely tipsy men sat side by side on the couch, their eyes on the sky above them.

“What’s your deal with that blond man?” Yuto asked. The question had been playing in his head for the past week.

“It’s not his natural hair colour. I think he dyed it about a month ago,” replied Wooseok absentmindedly. “I like that colour on him though. He looks like Draco Malfoy.”

“You like Harry Potter?”

“I _love_ Harry Potter,” Wooseok turned to Yuto with wide eyes, making the latter smile. “But,” he mumbled, turning back towards the sky as his face fell, “Yanan doesn’t.”

“Must suck dating someone who doesn’t like what you love,” Yuto said, taking a sip from his second can of beer.

He heard Wooseok hum in response and waited for the man to say more.

“I don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“Why I have to pretend to be someone I’m not around him. Or around anyone else really,” Wooseok sighed. “I follow everything he does. Every time I date someone, I tend to copy them. They like honey on their pancakes? I’ll pour honey on mine too. They don’t like Harry Potter? Well I guess no movie nights for us wearing Hogwarts socks in bed then.”

Yuto’s eyes were on Wooseok’s face. He stared at the man’s side profile and processed every word he blurted out. It’s almost as if he could feel the pain he was trying to hide.

“Not that we ever have movie nights,” Wooseok pouted. “He just comes over during the weekend, bang me like there’s no tomorrow and leave in the morning like the cocky CEO that he is. He even bangs me in his office sometimes. I liked it at first but the more he did it the more I felt like it was becoming a routine instead of something that we both actually wanted to do.”

“Whoa,” Yuto cut in, “you two work in the same office?” Wooseok felt the heat rising to his cheeks and nodded. “Wow, I didn’t know _that_.”

“Well, I never told you,” the taller man took a sip of his own beer. “But yeah, I don’t even know what we are. Is he my boyfriend? I don’t know. We never hold hands or go on dates like other couples do. All we do is fuck and sleep and eat pancakes. I’m surprised neither of us gained any weight from that.”

Yuto laughed, “Hey, you’ve been feeding _me_ pancakes with chocolate syrup for the past week too.”

“You asked for it okay,” Wooseok said before they fell into a comfortable silence again. He slowly leaned his head onto Yuto’s shoulder, his eyes on the sky once more. “I wish I could stay like this forever. I’m sick of pretending.”

Yuto felt his heart pounding in his chest as his gaze fell on the top of Wooseok’s head, the smell of strawberry shampoo filling his nostrils. He buried his nose in Wooseok’s hair, leaving a soft kiss the latter didn’t even feel.

“Then don’t pretend,” he replied, “When he comes over tomorrow night, show him how you really are. Wear your Harry Potter socks and cook him _your_ favourite food and tell him about your day instead of listening about his complaints for once.”

Wooseok peered up at Yuto, causing the other’s breath to hitch in his throat as he stared into those doe, brown eyes looking into his through his long lashes. “But what if he doesn’t like it?”

Before he could stop himself, Yuto found his own hand brushing Wooseok’s hair off his forehead, “Then it’s his loss, not yours.”

Taking Yuto’s advice, Wooseok had gone out early the next day to buy some groceries so he could cook dinner that night for Yanan. He was surprised to see that Yuto _wasn’t_ in his apartment that morning, but he shrugged it off and thought maybe he didn’t wake up yet or he actually liked the man he’s in bed with—if there’s even one.

He spent two hours cooking his favourite food, calling his mom from time to time to ask her about the dishes so he could make it the way she always did. When he was done, his artistic side took over him as he decorated the dining table with flower petals and arranged the dishes nicely. He even put on the music he liked from his desktop and placed cinnamon scented candles on the windowsills.

His new painting was now hung on the wall adjacent to his front door, near the jacket hanger. He thought it would be easier to display it there than having it right next to a television. Yanan always came over around nine but Wooseok had texted him to come by an hour earlier. He waited patiently in the living room, drinking banana milk as he scrolled through his phone.

It was already fifteen minutes past eight, and he was afraid that the food would run cold, so he decided to call Yanan himself.

The first call was sent straight to voicemail so he tried again, and Yanan picked up after the fourth ring.

“Wooseok?” his voice came from the other end of the line. “Hey!”

“Anie, are you coming or not?” Wooseok whined, “You’re already fifteen minutes late.”

Muffled noises could be heard on Yanan’s end, sparking curiosity in Wooseok as he tried to make out what it was.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry! I forgot to tell you that Dad asked me to accompany him to a dinner with the contractors of our new project. I can’t make it tonight,” Yanan spoke, not sounding even the slightest bit sorry.

Wooseok felt all the enthusiasm leave his body.

He didn’t know why it hurt so much, but his shoulders fell as well as his heart, and he could feel it beating slowly at the bottom of his stomach. He gulped, trying not to let the emotions get the best of him. “Okay, have fun,” he replied monotonously.

“Sorry, baby,” Yanan cooed, and the line went dead.

Wooseok scoffed when he saw that Yanan had hung up on him and threw his phone onto the edge of the couch. He tugged at his hair and groaned.

“Fuck!” he shouted to no one in particular. Wooseok had wasted his money, time and energy preparing a quite fancy dinner for the both of them, and the thought of having to finish all the food on his own—alone in a romantic atmosphere—almost made him tear his hair out of his scalp.

_It’s his loss, not yours._

The words repeated in his mind, Yuto’s voice slowly soothing his mixture of anger and sadness. What he wanted then was to call Yuto and make him come over. He wanted Yuto to taste his favourite food and see his reaction. He wanted to tell his mom that he managed to pull off the dishes and that he could make it taste just as delicious as hers.

And that’s exactly what he needed to do.

Wooseok stood up, determination flashing in his eyes as he marched up to the front door and opened it. He walked out with his One Piece t-shirt and kitten-printed pyjama pants, not bothering to put shoes on as he sauntered across the hall with his feet clad in Harry Potter socks.

When he reached 5A, he took a deep breath and opened the door as frantically as possible. He barged into the apartment for the first time, instantly spotting Yuto standing in the middle of the living room with nothing but his boxers and a black t-shirt. He saw a pile of clothes in a corner and an electric guitar propped up next to it. He realized the apartment smelled exactly like Yuto, reeking of too strong men’s cologne even though an air humidifier was placed on the coffee table.

Yuto’s eyes were on him when he barged him, startled. A man was standing by Yuto’s bed, fully clothed to his delight.

“Yuto-ya! Oh my god, we need to go right _now_ ,” Wooseok panicked. He walked around the apartment, picking up what he knew were Yuto’s shoes off the floor. “It’s mom! She fell in the shower, oh god,” he rambled, taking Yuto’s pair of jeans that was lying on the sofa. “Daddy just called and they’re taking her to the hospital right now! We need to go, I don’t know if she’s gonna be okay!”

He pretended to have just seen the man standing by Yuto’s bed and bowed.

“I’m sorry, sir. I’m so sorry, you seem like a nice man but I need my brother right now. Our mom needs us! Yuto-ya, come _on_! Why are you just standing there?” Wooseok shouted while Yuto tried his best to keep a straight face. The actor of the year dumped Yuto’s shoes and pants into his arms and dragged him towards the door. “Sorry again, sir!” he turned back to the stranger.

He pushed Yuto out of his own apartment and slammed the door before the two of them tiptoed across the hall and into Wooseok’s.

The taller man closed the door gently so the stranger wouldn’t hear it and took a peek through the peephole. It only took a few seconds before the man walked out of Yuto’s apartment, the irritation obvious on his face.

Wooseok smiled in satisfaction and turned to face Yuto, who was standing in the middle of his living room with his pants and shoes in his arms. He raised an eyebrow at Wooseok, “Care to explain?”

“Yanan…couldn’t make it,” he said, suddenly afraid of Yuto’s reaction. That’s when Yuto finally realised the candles on the windowsill and the dim lighting, the scent of cinnamon tickling his nostrils. His eyes softened as he took in Wooseok’s appearance as well, all cosy in his pyjamas, standing awkwardly by the dining table. “I cooked dinner, like you suggested. And I don’t think I could finish it all by myself, so…Eat with me?”

Yuto put on his best, cocky grin and spread his arms wide, letting his pants and shoes fall onto the wooden floor with a thud. “Well, don’t mind if I do.”

The two of them spent the entire Saturday night savouring Wooseok’s homemade dinner—which indeed turned out as good as his mother’s—and re-watching episodes of One Piece on TV. Yuto put on Prisoner of Azkaban, both his and Wooseok’s favourite Harry Potter movie, around two in the morning and they watched it for the umpteenth time in their life, cuddling on the couch like teenagers at a sleepover.

When the movie was reaching its end, Yuto felt Wooseok’s head grow heavier on his shoulder and he turned the TV off. He pushed the blanket off of them and slowly carried Wooseok to his bed, carefully placing his head on the pillow and setting the quilt up to his neck.

Yuto felt his heart skip a beat when he took in Wooseok’s peaceful, sleeping state. He caressed the man’s cheek with his thumb and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, a small smile appearing on his face.

As Wooseok slept, Yuto did the dishes and cleared the dining table as silently as he could, extinguished the candles, and fell asleep soundly on the couch in the living room.

~

When morning came, Wooseok was woken up by the familiar soft music he had gotten used to and almost jumped out of the bed when it dawned on him that Yuto had stayed the night again. He pushed the quilt down and sat up, ready to take his mirror and brush his hair into place when Yuto peeked from around the corner.

“You’re awake!” he exclaimed, holding Wooseok’s yellow mug in one hand and his blue one in the other. He approached the bed before Wooseok could do anything and placed the yellow mug on the nightstand. “I made you coffee,” he said, “sorry if my music woke you up.”

“It’s…It’s alright,” Wooseok replied, still processing Yuto’s actions. His neighbour was dressed in a white shirt and grey sweatpants, his hair damp. He wondered how early Yuto had woken up as it was barely nine o’clock and he had already showered.

“I’m gonna make some eggs and toast, if that’s okay with you?”

Wooseok nodded, “Yeah, of course. I’d love that.”

Smiling, Yuto took a sip from his own coffee and made his way past the bed. “Oh and Wooseokie,” he stopped and turned around again. Wooseok looked at him, waiting for him to continue. “I never said this but…you always look so beautiful in the morning.”

And Wooseok didn’t know how to respond to words that had never been spoken to him before.

~

Being left alone in his apartment felt therapeutic at first, yet as Wooseok painted again by the window, he didn’t feel the creativity flowing from his mind to his hands. When Yuto left for work at the sports centre, Wooseok immediately took a clean canvas and propped it on his easel, ready to paint another masterpiece. But now his mind went blank, and his thoughts pondered on Yanan’s ignorance from the night before.

Wooseok shook his head, trying to forget about the things that made him upset. The sky was darkening outside and his stomach rumbled. He was too lazy to make dinner after what had happened, and he was too lazy to order takeout too. Basically, he was just too lazy to exist.

“I need food,” he said to himself as he got up from the windowsill and cleared his art supplies. The half painted canvas stood by the window, staring at the lights that were slowly coming on one by one in the building across the street.

After washing his hands and drying them with a paper towel, Wooseok poured himself another glass of banana milk and fetched his phone off the countertop. He opened his texts and decided to ask Yuto where he was since it was almost seven. He knew his friend got off work at six-thirty.

 _Where are you?_ He texted.

The reply came in seconds later: _Come outside and see for yourself_.

Wooseok found himself grinning like a fool as he bolted out the door. He went to the staircase and leaned over the ledge, looking down. There Yuto was, coming up the stairs from the second floor and already looking at him with that same winning smile on his face.

“Chinese takeout?” he asked loudly.

“Did you get the Itty Bitty Ribs?”

Yuto held up the translucent plastic bag, showing Wooseok the container of the ribs that’s inside.

Wooseok nodded, showing him a thumbs up. “See you in two minutes.”

And exactly two minutes later, Yuto walked in through the front door that Wooseok had left ajar on purpose.

“Honey, I’m home!” the Japanese man greeted in a sing-song voice. He placed the food he’d bought on the kitchen counter and neatly arranged the boxes on the dining table while Wooseok shut the door. He took out two glasses from the cabinet and poured milk into them before placing them on either side of the table. “ _Voila!_ Hope you’re hungry.”

Wooseok instantly took a seat and grabbed his chopsticks. “ _Very_.”

~

“You don’t look very happy,” said Yuto, drying the glasses and putting them back in the cabinet.

Wooseok sighed, walking towards his easel and showing Yuto the unfinished painting. “I ran out of ideas.”

The other man approached him and inspected the painting, tapping his chin with his forefinger. “You know what you need? Inspiration.”

“And exactly where do I get that?”

Yuto smiled then, something mischievous glinting in his eyes. “Follow me.”

~

“A bar? Really, Yuto?” Wooseok whined when the two of them arrived in front of a sketchy building with a large neon sign. They were both dressed in black from head to toe, looking as dashing as they could be, but a bar was never really Wooseok’s scene. He was already dreading it.

“Oh loosen up, will you? Trust me, this isn’t a regular bar.” Yuto took Wooseok’s hand and pulled him through the entrance.

“What, am I gonna end up in Narnia or something?” the taller man remarked, but he was silenced by the different types of people present inside the bar. Some were laughing, some were just talking, and some were shamelessly flirting in front of the bartender.

But what caught Wooseok’s eye the most was the stage on one side of the dimly lit room. Live music was playing—a man was currently singing with his whole heart as he played the piano effortlessly. His voice sounded so heavenly in Wooseok’s ears, and he never wanted to stop listening to him.

Yuto made him sit down at one of the empty tables nearer to the stage. “You wait here while I order our drinks, okay?”

“I don’t wanna get smashed, Yu,” Wooseok replied, his eyes never leaving the passionate singer.

“I know,” Yuto shouted as he walked away from the table, his voice almost drowned in the singer’s loud and strong vocals. Wooseok was so moved he had to hold the legs of the stool beneath him so he wouldn’t topple over.

When the singer had finished his song with a beautiful note, Wooseok clapped as loudly as everyone else, cheering the talent that they had been blessed with. Yuto appeared, two Coronas in hand before he placed them on the high, round table. He clapped for the singer too, cheering as loud as he could even though they were near the stage.

“He’s amazing,” Wooseok said as the cheering died down.

Yuto turned to look at him. “I know right? He performs here every weekend. He’s actually a composer.”

“Wow, a legit composer?”

Yuto nodded, and Wooseok almost fell off the stool when the singer came down from the stage and greeted his friend. The way they hugged told Wooseok that they had known each other for a long time, and he didn’t know why he was so blown away by the man’s sole presence. He had an aura of creativity around him, and Wooseok wanted him to sprinkle some of it on himself.

“Hui hyung, this is Wooseok,” Yuto introduced him. “Seokie, this is Hui.”

“Hi, wow, it’s nice to meet you,” Wooseok stammered. “Sorry, you’re just, really amazing.”

Hui laughed and shook his hands, thanking him for the compliments. “You need to hear this one rap,” he nudged Yuto with his elbow. “I’ve asked him to feature in my songs a couple times and he never agreed! He just helped me write the lyrics and that’s it.”

“For real?” Wooseok asked, his eyes going wide as he stared at Yuto. The latter was shaking his head and smacking Hui’s arm for revealing that information.

“Ah, come on, Yuto-ya, let’s perform a song for him,” Hui suggested, beckoning Yuto towards the stage.

“Yes! Yuto please!” Wooseok clapped his hands, making Yuto’s heart flutter in his chest.

“I—I don’t know, I haven’t rapped in ages and—”

“ _Please_? Be my inspiration?”

Well, Yuto couldn’t say no to _that_. So he gave in and let Hui pull him onto the stage. Hui played the piano and sang his parts beautifully, his voice full of longing and yearning, matching the lyrics of the love song. But when Yuto opened his mouth and started rapping his heart-breaking verses, his eyes staring into Wooseok’s the whole time, the latter’s mouth went dry.

He had never heard someone deliver rap verses the way Yuto did, and he wished he could listen to his voice forever. His body was swaying to the music and the drinks on the table were long forgotten. Yuto’s voice was like a burst of colour in the black and white bar, outshining the white lights hanging above the stage. Wooseok felt like the universe had disappeared, and he was stuck in a space where only Yuto’s voice could be heard flowing with the effortless melody of the piano.

And then it stopped.

And Wooseok cheered louder than all the other customers combined.

“I didn’t know you had that in you,” Wooseok said when it was just the two of them sitting at their table.

Yuto took a sip of his drink and waved a finger in front of Wooseok, shaking his head. “Stop. I never really sing or rap in front of people. I’m mainly the guitarist in my band.”

“What?” Wooseok gasped, “You have a _band_?”

“Not that kind of band, okay. We just play at clubs…and sometimes weddings.” Wooseok burst out laughing right then and there, and Yuto was biting back a smile, “What’s so funny? We’re literally playing at a wedding tomorrow night at The Gardens.” He couldn’t help but laugh too when the other man’s laughter increased. He felt like he’d won a race, getting to make Wooseok laugh as his trophy.

“You are so full of surprises, Adachi.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” he replied, purposely letting his pinkie brush over the skin of Wooseok’s hand on the table. “Wanna go somewhere else?”

Wooseok downed the rest of his drink and nodded. “At this point I’ll follow you anywhere.”

~

It was almost midnight, and there were less cars on the road as Yuto twirled the keys to the sports centre around his forefinger. “Are you into sports?”

“I’m into sports anime, not actual sports,” Wooseok retorted, earning a laugh from Yuto.

He opened the gate and they entered through the back doors that the employees used. Wooseok stayed close to his friend as he led the way. It was pitch black and he didn’t know how Yuto could even see anything.

“Where are we?” Wooseok whispered, tugging at the back of Yuto’s hoodie.

“Just because it’s dark doesn’t mean you have to whisper,” he replied, his voice echoing off the walls. “Here it is, guard your eyes,” he said before pushing a lever up and turning on the lights of the basketball court. They both shielded their eyes with their arms until they’d adjusted to the brightness and Yuto pulled Wooseok forward by his sleeve, walking backwards. “I hope you know basketball.”

“I presented my school for basketball, I think I can score a hoop or two,” Wooseok replied coyly, his lips pulled into a smug smile.

Yuto nodded mockingly, trying to hide his own smirk. “But do you play horse?”

Wooseok picked up the ball from the middle of the court and spun it in his hands. “You underestimate me in so many ways, Yuto.”

“Well, in that case,” Yuto snatched the ball from Wooseok’s hands and instantly slammed it through the hoop, leaving his friend gaping at his speedy actions. “Let’s play strip horse. First person to strip completely loses.”

Scoffing, Wooseok picked up the ball again and copied Yuto’s exact actions, letting the ball slip through the hoop with ease. He spread his arms wide open, puffing his chest out to mock his friend. “You’re getting naked first, Adachi.”

And the game began.

Yuto took off his shoes after he failed to copy Wooseok’s serve. Wooseok took off his when the ball hit the board and missed. By the time the digital clock above the court displayed 00:00 in bright red, they were both shirtless—Wooseok still had his jeans on, while Yuto’s last piece of clothing was his briefs.

The endless laughter that erupted between them echoed throughout the spacious court. They had tackled each other to the ground multiple times, rolling on the shiny floor like children. When Yuto failed to mimic Wooseok’s last move, he gave up, and refused to strip completely in front of his friend.

“Please, it’s not like I’ve never seen your dick before,” Wooseok remarked, twirling the ball on his forefinger easily.

“Hey, that was _one_ time,” Yuto chased him, trying to get the ball, but Wooseok was laughing and running around the court freely, holding the ball above his head.

The tired pair finally retired to the benches, throwing their clothes back on except for their shoes. Wooseok snatched Yuto’s hoodie and threw it on before the latter could say anything, sticking his tongue out as Yuto tugged on his own shirt.

After turning off the lights and locking the centre again, they walked side by side along the docks behind the building, their shoes in their hands and the freezing wind caressing the exposed skin on their feet. Wooseok spotted a light glinting from a boat far away in the middle of the sea and waved at it even though he knew no one could see him. It made Yuto’s heart feel warm, and he found himself smiling at the man beside him.

“That was fun,” Wooseok broke their silence, glancing at Yuto who was looking at his feet. “I haven’t had that much fun in ages.”

“I could tell,” answered Yuto, giving Wooseok an apologetic smile.

Silence engulfed the atmosphere once more as they sauntered on the pavement, heading down the dock with only a few lampposts lighting their way.

Wooseok spotted a pier not too far away and gasped, pointing at it. “Yuto!” he smacked the man’s arm and started running forward. “Follow me!” he managed to say, excitement bursting in his voice. The other laughed along as he ran after him.

“I’m following!”

They both raced one another towards the edge of the pier, hidden from the public view of the main roads on the other side of the gates. Wooseok screeched with enthusiasm, laughing to himself as he and Yuto both stripped down one more time.

Not a single yarn was present on their body, their skin glimmering under the moonlight as they stood before the water, knowing how cold it would be.

“I wanna do this,” Wooseok muttered, his voice calm, yet laced with excitement nonetheless.

Yuto took his hand, intertwining their fingers. “Then let’s do it.”

The two men jumped simultaneously at the count of three, screaming as loud as they could before their skin came in contact with the water. For the first few seconds, they disappeared wholly from view, and Wooseok was first to emerge.

He took a deep breath as he popped his head back in the air, shouting “It’s so cold!” repeatedly and pushing his long hair out of his eyes. Yuto copied his actions, his lips quivering.

“It’s fucking freezing!” he yelled, laughing when Wooseok splashed his face with the water. The smiles on their faces shone as bright as the moonbeams on the surface of the sea, and they swam further from the pier, their laughter following closely behind.

~

“That was _awesome_!” Yuto grunted as he closed the door to Wooseok’s apartment. The latter was already pouring himself a glass of water and drinking it all in one go. “Someone’s thirsty.”

“We literally played basketball _and_ skinny dip in the same night. How are you _not_ thirsty?” Wooseok refilled the glass and passed it to Yuto, who also drank it all in one go. “Are you not going back to your apartment? I feel like you live here now.”

Yuto rinsed the glass and set it aside, “Is that a bad thing?”

“Nah,” Wooseok smiled, standing in the space between the living room and the bed. “You’re fun to hang out with. But don’t you have anyone to be with tonight?” he wiggled his eyebrows. Yuto chuckled as he went around the counter and shook his head.

“I guess I got tired of people taking my shirts, and _hoodies_ ,” he said, gesturing at Wooseok who was clad in his black hoodie as he slowly walked towards him. “And this is my favourite one, so….” Wooseok only stared into Yuto’s eyes as he got nearer, decreasing the space between them with each step. He took another, almost closing the gap. “I want it back,” he whispered, his hot breath fanning Wooseok’s chin.

He was only an inch shorter, yet Wooseok felt so small under his touch. He felt a shiver run down his spine as Yuto took the zip of the hoodie between his thumb and forefinger, dragging it down so painfully slow and revealing Wooseok’s bare skin underneath. The taller man felt like ripping it open himself, his breath turning ragged.

When the zip was undone, Yuto pushed the two sides of the hoodie apart, his gaze raking up the man’s torso before it landed on his lips. Wooseok could feel the heat coiling in his gut, and his own gaze fluttered between Yuto’s eyes and lips, his mouth running dry.

Wooseok leaned forward and closed the distance between them, connecting their lips in a hungry motion. His hands were buried in Yuto’s hair, tugging softly at the ends and causing Yuto to moan into their kiss. The latter pushed the hoodie off of Wooseok’s broad shoulders, letting it fall onto the coffee table.

The only sounds heard were their smacking lips and heavy breathing as Yuto pushed Wooseok towards the bed. The back of Wooseok’s knee hit the frame, causing him to fall onto the mattress with Yuto right above him. He opened his mouth, letting Yuto’s tongue roam around his and only pulling away to tug the latter’s shirt off of him. He threw it onto the floor and kissed the Japanese man again.

Yuto straddled Wooseok’s waist, his hands exploring the man’s bare chest as he swallowed his moans. He could feel Wooseok’s growing bulge underneath him, triggering his own. With boosting confidence, Yuto lowered his hands, his fingers already working on unbuttoning Wooseok’s jeans.

That’s when Wooseok pulled back, his eyes wide as he unsubtly pushed Yuto further away from him.

“What, what’s wrong?” Yuto asked, worry evident in his eyes. He didn’t want to cross the line, and he was ready to regret his actions if he did. “Wooseok, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” He reached for Wooseok’s hand but the man flinched and moved backwards.

Wooseok saw the hurt in Yuto’s eyes, but he didn’t know what to do. “I can’t do this,” he muttered softly, hoping Yuto would understand.

“Do what? What is _this_ , Wooseok?” Yuto’s voice dropped. If Wooseok didn’t know better he would say his friend was angry, and he had every right to be.

Wooseok got off the bed and ran a hand through his hair, his eyebrows knitted together in frustration. “I’m with Yanan, this would be cheating. I can’t do that to him, I’m not that kind of person, Yuto.”

“You’re _with_ Yanan?” Yuto scoffed. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Where? Where is he, Seok? He’s not here! He’s _never_ here. You’re dumb if you actually think that Yanan gives a damn about you.”

“What did you just say?” Wooseok seethed, his teeth clenched together.

“Open your eyes!” Yuto raised his voice. “He doesn’t care about you, Wooseok! He’s only ever here for _sex_. You told me yourself that he only comes here, fucks you, and leaves. He doesn’t stay to hear what you have to say! He never cared! Why would you want to be with someone who constantly needs you to pretend to be someone you’re _not_?”

“Because I want him!” Wooseok shouted back. “I want to be able to love him and for him to love me! We’ve been doing this for two months and I liked it. Maybe I love him too. So I don’t know why _you’re_ so pressed about it when it’s none of your fucking business!”

Wooseok placed his hands on his hips as he faced the wall for a few seconds, his fist itching to punch a hole in it. He took a deep breath and turned towards Yuto again, his eyes burning with rage.

“ _Love_?” laughed Yuto. He wiped his face with one hand, “How can you call that love, Wooseok? Love is about being _yourself_! How do you know you love him when he’s never here? How do you know you love him when you’re too busy pretending to be what everyone else wants you to be?”

“At least I’m actually _with_ someone while _you_ can’t even hang out with a random guy for 20 minutes without fucking him!”

“ _Well that was true until I met_ you…” Yuto shouted before trailing off. He let the silence float between them, knowing well that Wooseok was taken aback by his sudden outburst and confession.

He had stopped seeing random guys ever since he grew closer to Wooseok. Every guy that showed up in his apartment, even the one Wooseok rescued him from just to eat dinner with him, he had rejected their sexual desires. He didn’t need them anymore.

“Well, Yuto,” Wooseok looked up, meeting his gaze, “if we had slept together I’m pretty sure you’d already be out that door by now.”

“Whatever you say, Wooseok,” Yuto retorted, the condemning tone piercing through Wooseok’s heart like shards of glass. Yuto went straight for the door, opening it and not bothering to close it behind him as he crossed the hall towards his apartment. When he reached 5A, he turned around, finding Wooseok still staring at him. “Oh, and you say you’re actually with someone? Well, I didn’t see anyone coming by that apartment in the past week besides me so good luck with that.”

Yuto went inside and slammed his door, causing Wooseok to slam his right after.

~

The next day, Wooseok barely talked to anyone in the office, and Yanan wasn’t around. He asked his colleagues about their CEO, and it turned out that he was visiting one of the new project sites with his father and the contractors. He had bumped into Yanan’s new secretary on his way to the bathroom; a shorter man with a pretty face.

Apparently Yanan’s father did end up firing the previous secretary because she didn’t do her job well, or she probably just didn’t meet the boss’ too high standards. Wooseok saw the man’s desk, set up neatly right outside Yanan’s office. His nameplate was proudly shown on the table, and it read Kang Hyunggu. Wooseok didn’t know why he was so curious, but he fell back into his ignorant mood all day and went back home earlier than everyone else.

In his apartment, Wooseok tried to ignore the empty feeling of not having Yuto sitting on his couch or spamming his phone with memes. He had bought Chinese takeout on the way back and almost burst out crying as he ate, thinking about the vacant chair in front of him that was always occupied by his neighbour.

To distract himself, Wooseok got up and made pancakes. He hadn’t seen Yanan all week and he wasn’t returning his messages, so he thought he’d go to Yanan’s house and surprise him.

It was around 8:30 p.m. when Wooseok arrived in front of Yanan’s house—a proud bungalow standing tall and surrounded by black iron gates. He smiled at the guard who let him in as he’d been there before—both for work and booty call purposes—and made his way towards the mahogany double doors.

He rang the doorbell, the container of pancakes placed neatly inside a brown paper bag in one hand. An elderly woman opened the door seconds later, smiling wide when she saw him.

“Wooseok-ah! I haven’t seen you in weeks!” she greeted, pulling him into a hug. She was the housekeeper, and she had been working for Yanan’s family for years. He smiled back at her and showed her the bag in his hand.

“I made Anie pancakes,” he said, “is he home?”

“Ah, you and your pancakes. When will I get to taste them?” she teased. “I think he’s upstairs in his room. I didn’t see anyone come in or go out so he should be there. Go!” she pushed him towards the staircase, and he thanked her before going up and disappearing from view.

When he reached Yanan’s bedroom door, the last one down the hallway, he felt anxious. It felt like his gut was being twisted but he tried his best to neglect the feeling. After taking a deep breath, Wooseok knocked softly on the door, waiting for Yanan to open it.

There was no response, so Wooseok knocked again, louder this time. It took him three attempts only to no avail. Without thinking, he twisted the doorknob and opened the door himself. He poked his head into the room, calling Yanan’s name softly in case he was sleeping.

He wasn’t ready for the sight he was about to see.

Wooseok’s eyes went wide when he saw the new secretary, Hyunggu, straddling Yanan’s naked waist on the bed. The latter had his wrists tied up with red silk to the headboard, and both of them looked surprised to witness Wooseok’s presence by the door.

“Wooseokie?” Yanan gasped.

Tears sprung to Wooseok’s eyes in a split second. Yuto was right—he was dumb. Too dumb and selfish and caught up in his own idea of Yanan to see who he truly was.

Wooseok placed the bag of pancakes on the floor and slammed the door. He dashed up the hallway and down the stairs as quickly as he could, not even bothering to wait for the housekeeper and saw himself out. He could hear Yanan calling after him, but he didn’t care anymore. His heart was ripped into shreds by his own stupidity. He was too trusting, and he needed to get away.

The guard asked him if he was okay but Wooseok just ran—he ran back to his car and let the tears fall out the moment he shut the door. The sounds of his panting and heavy sobs echoed in his own ears as he screamed into his hands. He should’ve listened to Yuto. He owed him an apology.

~

Wooseok had driven back to his apartment after calming down. He dragged himself up the staircase and went straight to 5A, knocking on the door endlessly.

“Please open up,” he begged, his voice breaking as he was on the verge of crying again. He knocked and knocked until he heard someone calling him from below, so Wooseok went to the stairs and looked down, finding Changgu looking up at him.

“Wooseok? Are you okay?”

“Changgu-ya,” he sniffled, “do you happen to know where my neighbour is? Yuto?”

The man scratched the back of his head before his face lit up, “Ah, you mean the Japanese guy, right? I saw him leave two hours ago! He was all suited up too.”

And that’s when Wooseok remembered: The Gardens.

He ran down the flights of stairs, thanked Changgu, and bolted out the door again before the latter could say anything in reply. A woman shouted after him as he almost bumped into her on his way to his car, but Wooseok only mumbled his apologies, jumped back into his car and drove himself to The Gardens without hesitation. He had to make this right.

~

There were many vehicles filling up The Gardens’ parking lot, and Wooseok had to pay double the amount for a ticket just to get the farthest spot. He groaned after locking his car and sprinted his way towards the entrance. Somehow he was thankful that he’s still in his work clothes. It would’ve been extremely awkward if he’d shown up at a stranger’s wedding sporting sweatpants and a t-shirt.

When he entered the garden, he saw the crowd sitting at a labyrinth of round tables, draped in white cloth. Their eyes were on the band playing an original song under the gazebo.

Wooseok stopped and took in the view. Twinkling lights were hanging from the gazebo and the trees surrounding it while everything else was a mixture of light blue and white. His eyes softened when he spotted the man he was looking for, handsomely donned up in a tuxedo and playing the guitar passionately.

He had to talk to him now. Seeing Yuto in the flesh, only a few metres away from him, made the memories of their past two weeks together play like a montage in his brain. He remembered the way Yuto’s hand would brush his every time they reached for the same food, the way Yuto complimented everything he did, how he always tried his best to cheer him up; he remembered it all.

And he realised Yuto had stopped seeing other people, hanging out with him every single night when he could be outside doing whatever it was he used to do before Wooseok barged into his life.

Wooseok ran again. He ran to the side of the gazebo, picked up a tambourine he found near the staircase and went onto the makeshift stage. He played the tambourine, shaking it over his head as he had no clue what he was doing.

He made his way towards Yuto, standing closely behind him as he tried his best to sing along to the song he didn’t know.

Upon hearing a familiar voice singing the wrong words, Yuto turned around, his eyes widening at Wooseok’s sudden appearance behind him. “What are you _doing_?” he mouthed.

“I need to talk to you!” Wooseok whispered, still shaking the tambourine ridiculously above his head, subtly ruining the song. Yuto only rolled his eyes and turned back towards the crowd, continuing to play the guitar and neglecting Wooseok’s presence.

Wooseok called his name multiple times, but Yuto just wouldn’t budge, so he put down the musical instrument and made his way towards centre stage. Yuto almost choked on his own spit, witnessing the man pushing the lead singer aside and taking hold of the microphone.

The song abruptly stopped, arising questions and mumbles from the crowd.

“Thank you, thank you!” Wooseok cheered, clapping his hands at the band. “We’re gonna take a short break now so…Papa Bear! Come on up here and start the speeches!”

The crowd awkwardly clapped and Wooseok wasted no time in taking Yuto by the hand and dragging him off of the gazebo. He pulled the shorter man towards a clearing before he yanked his hand out of Wooseok’s grip.

“That’s enough,” Yuto said, clearly irritated. “What’s so important?”

Wooseok looked relief to have Yuto talking to him. He couldn’t help but noticed how beautiful Yuto looked—the darkness of the suit complimenting his tanned skin while his hair was dampened against his forehead because of the sweat. He took in every detail before exhaling a long breath.

“The gist of it is that…I’m sorry,” he started.

“Then I forgive you. Okay? Is that it?”

“ _No_ ,” Wooseok replied too eagerly, worried he’d let Yuto slip from his fingers again. He looked at Yuto once more, his heart skipping a beat when their eyes met. He knew it had always done that, but he was too busy chasing the wrong person to notice who his heart was beating for.

“All the time that we spent together,” he spoke, his eyes never veering away from Yuto’s, “everything that we did together in the past two weeks have been more meaningful to me than anything that I’d experienced in the past two months. I felt it, Yu. I felt it when I kissed you. I _knew_ that…that was what it’s supposed to feel like. Suddenly I understood what people meant when they say they feel like their head’s in the clouds. I felt like I was floating, free from everything when you’re with me; like I was laid bare in front of you, and you would take all of me without a second glance.”

Wooseok took a step forward and gently held Yuto’s hands in his.

“Love is about being yourself, and I’m myself when I’m with you.”

He peered into those brown eyes that he had grown so fond of, and they were looking into his without blinking. Feeling ashamed, Wooseok looked down at his feet, letting go of Yuto’s hands as he felt the blush crept to his cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m sorry, you probably don’t feel the same way and I’m making a fool out of—”

Yuto covered Wooseok’s mouth with his palm, shaking his head. “I stopped having different people over every night because I’ve found someone I wanna stay with forever.” He smiled reassuringly, and he noticed Wooseok’s shoulder slump in relief. Yuto held Wooseok’s face in his hands, his thumb caressing his cheek tenderly. “I love you, wedding crasher.”

Wooseok laughed at the nickname, his eyes glassy as they flickered between Yuto’s lips and back to his loving eyes. “I love you too.”

As if taking that as a green light, Yuto pressed his lips softly against Wooseok’s, capturing his taste as much as he could. He could feel Wooseok smiling into the kiss, and he couldn’t help but smile too. The longing had finally ended, and Yuto wrapped his arms around the latter’s waist, deepening their kiss as if they were the only two people in the world.

And maybe, in their own little universe, they were.


End file.
